Ramdan is less than 5 hours away, and we’re all excited about it. Ramadan is a lunar month that Muslims worldwide fast from dawn to sunset throughout its days.<br><br>Working hours change in Ramadan, mine are 9:30 - 15:30 instead of 8:30 - 5:30<br><br>Fasting is required for those who are 10 years old and on.. Those who are travelling, ill or can not fast can invite a poor person for a meal for every day they miss fasting, or can fast it later after Ramadan.<br><br>After Ramadan we celebrate “Eid” for 3 days. Kids have a blast in those days because they get to receive gifts from everybody, and we get a blast because it's an official holiday.<br><br>Let me walk you through a day of Ramadan:<br><br>04:00 We all wake up and have a light snack we call “Sohoor” since we must start fasting at dawn prayers.<br>04:40 Dawn prayers and fasting starts. It’s preferable to stay up reading Quran till sunrise, which is roughly an hour later.<br>11:40 Noon prayers.<br>14:45 Afternoon prayers.<br>17:10 Sunset prayers, and fasting of the day ends with a meal we call “Fotoor”.<br>19:10 Evening prayers, followed by optional prayers called “Taraweeh”.<br><br>Some other habits:<br>- The exchange of food items for “Fotoor” between neighbors.<br>- The invitation of friends and relatives over for “Fotoor”<br>- Making a public meal for those who can not afford one near the main mosque of every neighborhood. Almost everybody in the neighborhood contributes in that public buffet.<br>- Visiting friends and relatives after the evening prayers.<br><br>And now to answer some question.. <br><br>

Let me ask the obvious question: don't you get weak/dizzy from lack of food all day? If I miss lunch, the result is almost always a headache, dizziness, and so on. Do you take it easier than you would otherwise--and not just the different work hours, but generally?<br><br>Great wits are sure to madness near allied.--John Dryden, "Absalom and Achitophel"

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>the result is almost always a headache, dizziness, and so on<p><hr></blockquote><p>That's normal in the first couple of days, but then it fades away.. The problems increase with smokers and coffee/tea addicts..<br><br>As for taking work easier, mostly yes.. But I can not say the same for those mighty poeple in constructions or field jobs.<br><br>

Thank you so much for sharing this intriguing information. I have had a few Muslim friends in the past and was always amazed and impressed with their passion and dedication to their religious practices. You are to be commended.<br><br>

i noticed in UK there were a lot moslems where i worked.. so it didnt pass unobserved. i noticed there were a lot of them working in night shift then.. hehe. (so no diff when sleeping th days)<br><br>i asked some of them how they celebrate (my brain is off.. cant find a better word now, i think celbrate is ok..) it and found there are big regional differences.<br><br>never had a ramadan, as not being a moslem.. but won't be a problem really. often i did something near ly like (only as t he part of not eating, exluding the religion etc) when i lived in the equator, so .. breakfast early, then to work and next time ate after 8 pm.. (sun constanly 6 am- 6pm) .. just get used to it...<br><br>hey, have a great ramadan!! <br><br>post some ideas during it.. how's it going and what special things happen around... ;)<br><br>:)<br><br><br><br>Giaguara<br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Giaguara on 11/05/02 12:56 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

That would be my question. I would like to know the foods you have for your two meals, Sahoor and Fotoor.<br>thank you so much for sharing with us your customs.<br>Your new sig is quite beautiful. Is that a symbol for the Ramadan?<br><br>

funny you mention it, I was just thinking the same thing. I can only imagine the spread after sunset. Fasting for the entire day must make the food even more savary. Unforunately I love food too much to ever fast <br><br>

You can eat anything you like, there's nothing specific. We traditionally start the meal by eating some date:<br><br><br><br>But some of the common dishes for Fotoor are:<br><br>Starters:<br>Soup: tomato, lentil, oat, … etc.<br>Samboosa: crisp pastry filled with vegetables, cheese & mint leave, or minced meat. <br>Kubba (or Kebbi in Lebanon): ground wheat filled with minced meat.<br><br>Main:<br>Harees: Whole wheat cooked with red meat and salt. Then served with a dressing of sugar and cinnamon.<br>Jereesh: First, boil chicken and then cut it in stripes. Then mix with whole wheat cooked with onions, tomato and spices. Last, mix well in a blender and serve with a dressing of diced fried onions.<br><br>Kabsa: First, boil chicken or mutton, then fry the for a couple of minutes. Then use the chicken or mutton remaining soup to cook rise.<br><br><br>Gersan: boil chicken or mutton with tomato, onions, potatos (+more veggies) and tomato paste. Then cut the Gersan (thin bread) to 2x2 inch squares and place them in a casserole. Pour the meat with its soup on top of it and serve.<br><br>Dessert:<br>Legaimat: A mix of flour, water, salt & yeast to a thick liquid. Leave for 1 hour. Then, use a tablespoon to pour into a deep fryer. The objective is to get golden color lumps slightly smaller than Ping-Pong balls. After straining the Legaimat, place them in cold sweet syrup for a minute then serve on a place. The syrup is made by boiling water, sugar, saffron, cadmium & a tablespoon of lemon juice, then leave to cool down or put in the fridge.<br>Mahalbeya: A mix of milk, sugar, starch, and ground cadmium. Stir continuously in a pot on the stove until it thickens. Then pour into small bowls and leave to cool. Served cold and garnished with pistachio. <br><br><br>Basboosa: Mix semolina, sugar, yogurt drink & baking powder. Garnish with almonds and Bake like cake. Before serving, pour some sweet syrup on it.<br><br><br>This site has lots of goodies.. Try it out and let me know if you need clarifications or detailed recipes of other stuff <br><br>

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